Tuesday, 31 January 2012

Outrageous. Courageous. Adventurous. Scandalous. Lady Gaga has all the traits of a style icon that will go down in history. Her outfits are always under scrutiny. Some love them and some hate them but there is no denying that they are brave choices. I like some of her McQueen looks but the meat dress that has now become synonymous with Gaga herself was something that I thought was going a bit too far and I know that I am not the only person who feels that way. It was all over the newspapers and magazines and almost everyone around the globe has heard about it.

The modern icon shot to fame after her début studio album, aptly called "Fame" sold over 15 million copies globally (I bought one of them and it is one of the best albums I own.) She has over 1.3 billion combined views of her videos online. On Facebook she has over 47 million likes and she has over 18 million Twitter followers. She has won 5 Grammy awards and has seen a total of 12 Grammy nominations. She has got 2 million Guinness World Records, sold approximately 23 million albums and 64 million singles. She is on Forbes' list of "100 Most Powerful Celebrities in the World" and "100 Most Powerful Women in the World." And those are just a few of her achievements that I found most interesting; there are many more outstanding achievements just from this one lady.

The thing that I now find increasingly annoying is that whenever another singer tries to be different of even wears a leotard everyone's like "she's trying to be like Lady Gaga." On Natalia Kills' latest single "Kill My Boyfriend" (which is really good by the way, I would recommend listening to it.) lots of people have commented saying that she is trying to be like Lady Gaga. It's like "no." Nobody will ever be the same as Lady Gaga but I think it's silly that people always accuse others of trying. I personally think that Natalia Kills has a lot more class than Lady Gaga but is not quite as outgoing in her style ventures.

Lady Gaga's music videos are almost as controversial as her style and the music video for Love Game was banned in several countries and the video for Telephone had to be edited so that there was a clean version whereas her video for Judas was also very controversial among Christian groups. Her longest video yet is for Marry the Night which is an amazing 13 minutes 51 seconds long. Below, I have recreated some of her music video styles in these collages. Starting from her first video, Just Dance which was released in 2008.

Just Dance was Lady Gaga's first major hit that shot to the top of the charts and made her instantly famous. I can vividly remember the day when I first heard of Lady Gaga. I was in my kitchen (I can't remember exactly what I was doing but I was definitely in the kitchen) listening to 4Music (or maybe VIVA which was called TMF back then) and Lily Allen's The Fear had just ended. I had been singing along to the Lily Allen song as it was my favourite song at the time. Suddenly, this new song came on at number one and it was by an artist that I had never heard of before. I contemplated switching channels because I was not very open minded to new music back then. However, I got into it and really enjoyed the song. At the end I had to check who it was sung by. "Lady Gaga" said the screen. "Just another new singer" I thought. Little did I know that she would turn out to be so much more; an icon of my generation. That is why I will never forget my first memory of hearing her song on the TV in my kitchen on that day.

To see more of Lady Gaga's style and find out what she wore wear regularly head over to this website.

Quotes

"Some women choose to follow men and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you're wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you it doesn't love you any more."

"Trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if it's broken but you can still see the crack in that mother fucker's reflection."

"You have to be unique and different and shine in your own way."

"Well, that's your opinion, isn't it? And I'm not about to waste my time trying to change it."

"They can't scare me if I scare them first."

"Love is like a brick. You can build a house or sink a dead body."

"Don't ever let a soul in the world tell you you can't be exactly who you are."

"Do not allow people to dim your shine because they are blinded. Tell them to put on some sunglasses, cuz we were born this way bitch!"

"If you don't have any shadows your not in the light."

"I used to walk down the street like I was a fucking star...I want people to walk around delusional about how great they can be- and then to fight so hard for it everyday that the lie becomes the truth."

"People will always talk so let's give them sumthin' to talk about."

"Live your eyeliner, breathe your lipstick and kill for each other."

"When I wake up in the morning, I feel like any other insecure 24 year-old girl. Then I say, "Bitch, you're Lady Gaga , you get up and walk the walk today."

"I am focused on the work. I am constantly creating. I am a busy girl. I live and breathe my work. I love what I do. I believe in the message. There's no stopping."

I think that the thing that draws me towards Lady Gaga as an inspirational figure is her focus, drive and overall work ethic. All her wise words (see above) relate to this and anyone with a dream can be inspired by them because there is a recurring message that screams, DON'T GIVE UP.

Saturday, 28 January 2012

Pretty Passion. You might have noticed in my previous posts that many of the images that do not belong to me are linked back to a website called weheartit.com. I am a fan of this site for constant inspiration through images; whether those images are fashion related, wordy or a demonstration of fabulous photography, the site never fails to impress, inspire and influence me in my day. Many of the photographs in the collages on my bedroom walls are from weheartit. You can see these collages in my 2012 BRING.IT.ON. post. The layout of the site is neat, clean and easy to operate. It shows you the images with no extra unneeded fuss. The right hand column shows clearly what the most popular tags are so that if you click on them you are taken straight to pages of images with that tag. You can also search tags in the search bar at the top of the page. When I first created my account on the website, I had complications with being able to "heart" images however, it is fine now so I don't know what was going on at the time and hopefully it won't happen again. Like Pinterest and Tumblr you can create your own collection of inspired images that you love or "heart." All the pictures on weheartit are from other sites and linked back to the original source so you cannot upload your own images directly to the site. I find that I can waste hours just browsing through photos and the site makes it very easy to do so and you can search almost any topic. Also, when you do search something more specific you get the choice of seeing "most recent", "most popular" or "best match" first. When you see an image that you adore you have to choice to "heart" it, share on Facebook, tweet it or post it on Tumblr. However, you cannot comment but I do not find that this in any way affects my opinion on the site. I have "hearted" 249 images (which is 13 pages) but this figure grows on a weekly basis. You can gain followers if you "heart" images that they too like but I do not bother with following many people because the images rarely were created/taken by the person who posts them on weheartit and you can view all the images without following anyone.

Overall, I think it is definitely worthwhile visiting weheartit when you feel as though you are in need of some inspiration. In fact, I should have included it in my 3 Steps to Temporary Happiness.

Fine Fashion. On the catwalk Giambattista Valli, Gucci, Michael Kors, Holly Fulton and D Squared all conducted monochrome zebra print looks in their shows. However, I feel that Proenza Schouler was the one that really made us take a step forward in a yellow zebra print long sleeved mini dress. Although coloured zebra print is the modern take on the trend, the celebrity take on the trend is the bikini. Both Kate Moss and Rosie Huntington-Whitely sported a zebra bikini on their recent holidays. The one above is by Calvin Klein at ASOS. Unfortunately, the bikini bottoms are sold out but they do very similar ones for only £3.00; celebrity style without the celebrity price tag. Above you can see two different ways of wearing it. A zebra print bikini can be complimented by a beautiful tan or an aristocratic pale skin tone but not burnt red skin so make sure you wear a T-shirt like the one in the collage above if you have skin that burns very easily. The "USA" t-shirt from Wildfox comes in a few other designs and I love them all because they will protect your shoulders from the sun (as it is easy to burn your shoulders if standing in the sun a lot) without looking frumpy like big t-shirts sometimes do. Plus, you can also get a tan on your stomach and show off your summer body. It might seem odd that I am already writing about beach style but it is hot in some parts of the world right now. Although, living in the UK it is easy to forget that hot weather exists.

Friday, 27 January 2012

Not to stereotype but if we say that every girl dreams of being on the red carpet in a custom made couture dress with fans screaming her name and photographers snapping her perfectly made up face (that has been done by one of the best make up artists in the industry of course) then I would not be far off the truth. It is an illusion that many imagine; playing it out in their minds. Although I am doing drama GCSE I am not that delusional to think that that is my ticket to the red carpet. I feel as though I am aiming perfectly high enough in my goal of becoming a fashion journalist which is also on the stereotypical "unrealistic" scale and I hate it when people say that so I am not discrediting people who have a serious ambition at acting. However, trying not to sound too patronising, having a single ambition "to be famous" is a bit pathetic. It is a passion for acting that is more important; even if you have a few rubbish jobs. I would not mind working for the smallest company ever as long as I'm writing about something that interests me whilst I have that far off dream of being editor in chief at Vogue like an actress would be happy in a few small commercials but dreams of being a Hollywood superstar.

That was a bit long-winded but the point is, there is nothing wrong with fantasizing; dreaming. Which is what I was doing when making this collage.If I were to take to the red carpet, this is the sort of thing that I would opt to wear. I would choose classic, timeless Hollywood glamour; at least for my red carpet début. After that I would go for something more daring; maybe a bit of McQueen. I hope that one day I will be in a situation when I can wear a gown-like dress. I also hope that one day I will save up to get a couture dress, or maybe I'll just buy some vintage Chanel... Anyway, that's another dream altogether.

Imaginative, intelligent, magical and "the most significant figure in graphic arts since Leonardo DaVinci." In 1966, Walt Disney, one of the greatest imaginations of the 20th Century passed away but even now, almost half a century later he continues to awe and inspire. It is a gift to have a fabulous imagination however, it is a rarity that that imagination comes also with a great business mind and a certain optimism. It is rarer still when those aforementioned qualities are accompanied by compassion and love for family and friends. Walt's daughter, Diane Disney Miller once said, "Daddy never once missed a father's function no matter how I discounted it. I'd say, "Oh Daddy you don't need to come. It's just some stupid thing." But he's always be there, on time."As he spent a lot of his time creating entertainment for children he must have liked them but as I said, he spent "a lot of his time" doing so and it is amazing how he still managed to play a very active role in his children's lives. I am actually writing this whilst listening to the Now That's What I Call Disney CD that I got from my parents for Christmas after I told them how much I wanted it every time that the advert came on TV.

Disney was born in Chicago in 1901. He loved art and would often sell drawings to neighbours to earn some extra money. In 1918, when Disney was sixteen he joined the Red Cross and was sent overseas to France where he spent a year driving an ambulance which he covered in Disney cartoons. When Walt returned to the UK he pursued his career in commercial art by starting out at a company called Laugh-O-Grams which eventually became bankrupt. However, whilst working there, Disney became a recognised figure in Hollywood after creating his highly popular "Alice Comedies" which were about the adventures of a little girl, named Alice and her cat. He won his first Academy Award from "Flowers and Trees" which was the first full colour cartoon. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became his first full length film in 1937. Snow White is one of my favourite Disney films, mostly because it was the first one. Pretty much everyone knows the story of Snow White and the Disney pictures are the first images that come into most people's minds when they hear the title of the story. The film was produced in the Depression and it cost an amazing $1,400,000 to produce. I think that this figure proves how much effort must have taken to put it together and how much determination the makers must have had. Disneyland opened in 1955 and has entertained millions since then; including royalty, celebrities and normal people. Honestly, if you ever get the chance to go, it is a brilliant experience. I get butterflies just thinking about how magical it, so trust me, it is not just for kids. The park is inspirational in itself, as is the monument of Walt Disney holding hands with Mickey Mouse. I have been to Disney World (the best one) in Florida once and Disneyland Paris twice. People like Walt Disney are a gift to this world. His timeless positivity and imagination shine through and make the past, the present and the future a brighter place. To read more about Walt Disney click here.

My admiration of Walt Disney sprung from my love of his most classic character: Mickey Mouse. When I was eleven two of my favourite things in life were Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate and Mickey Mouse. I think that that is where my love of vintage came from; I just loved the classic/original versions of things and seeing where ideas first came from and how they evolved into so much more yet remained not dissimilar from the original. My Mickey Mouse clothing collection contains three tops, but the above one being my favourite. I got it from the Disney store (yes, they do adult clothing there.)

Mickey Mouse was created in 1928 and is a figure as internationally recognised as The Queen of England or Marilyn Monroe. Walt Disney himself provided the voice for Mickey Mouse until 1947. I so have Mickey Mouse's autograph (although I can't say I have The Queen's or Marilyn Monroe's!) Mickey Mouse is now in his eighties. That's pretty old for a mouse but I am sure that he will live on for centuries into the future as Walt Disney will in the presence of his company, his films, his quotes, his characters and his parks. By the way, many sources have assured me that the rumour that Disney had his body frozen so that he can be brought back to life if science can find a way to do so is just that, a rumour. It is not true.

The Evolution of Mickey

Plane Crazy was Mickey's first appearance but the first film to actually be distributed starring him was Steamboat Willie which I probably the most famous film starring him. His look changed quite a lot in the few months between Plane Crazy and Steamboat Willie. Plane Crazy was shown to a test audience in March 1928 whereas Steamboat Willie was shown eight months later in November.

"He popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad 20 years ago on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb and disaster seemed right around the corner."

Plane Crazy- the first film featuring Mickey Mouse.

In Plane Crazy, 1928

In Steamboat Willie, also 1928In the 1950s TV show The Mickey Mouse ClubThe mouse that we know and love today.

The EPCOT park stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Walt Disney's wishes were that he could build this "community" and introduce different types of city planning to try and build a perfect community with businesses, community areas, schools and all the features that a city would have. Everything was going to be perfect; all cars were to be driven underground so that there was no danger to pedestrians, there was to be no slum areas and everyone would be employed. There are lots of flowers and lakes at EPCOT to show the start of the project. However, Walt Disney died before the vision was embraced. The business decided not to embrace the idea. I think this is really tragic as knowing that Walt Disney had all the traits that would be perfect for pursuing such a venture. Perhaps the world today would be a better place if the experiment had opened up new ideas on how to govern villages, towns, cities, countries, continents and maybe even the entire world.

Luckily for me, as I like to include a quotes section in my "inspirational people" posts, Walt Disney has many inspirational quotes and here are my favourite:

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."-

"Laughter is America's most
important export."

"Why do we have to grow up? I know
more adults who have the children's approach to life. You see them at
Disneyland every time you go there. They are not afraid to be delighted with
simple pleasures."

"I have been up against tough
competition all my life. I wouldn't know how to get along without
it."

"Of all of our inventions for mass
communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood
language."

"A man should never neglect his
family for business."

And of course, Mickey Mouse is an
inspiration in himself so here are some of Disney's quotes about probably the
world's most famous mouse:

"I only hope that we don't lose
sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse."

-

"Mickey Mouse is, to me, a symbol
of independence. He was a means to an end."

In case you weren't convinced from my
words of praise of Disneyland, then you might need to hear it from Disney
himself. If you want to feel a part of the magic and the inspiration then there
is no better place to do it than in Disneyland:

"I don't want the public to see
the world they live in while they're in the Park (Disneyland). I want to feel
they're in another world."

"We did it (Disneyland), in the
knowledge that most of the people I talked to thought it would be a financial
disaster - closed and forgotten within the first year.""I first saw the site for
Disneyland back in 1953, In those days it was all flat land - no rivers, no
mountains, no castles or rocket ships - just orange groves, and a few acres of
walnut trees.""It's something that will never be
finished. Something that I can keep developing...and adding to.""Disneyland will never be
completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the
world.""Disneyland is the star,
everything else is in the supporting role.""It has that thing - the
imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement- I knew when I was a
kid."

Tuesday, 24 January 2012

A couple of years ago, a girl's hand would go bare so that the attention would not be diverted away from her manicure but 2011 saw a rise in the world of cocktail rings and as 2012 has made its way onto the scene it seems like statement rings are in for the long haul. They are now the biggest jewellery statement that a fashionista can make. Knuckle duster styles are no longer a massive faux pas but instead assert a fabulous sense of sophistication. It is no longer just a delicate wedding or engagement ring that a lady wears but hell, you can wear a ring that spreads across three whole fingers. Flowers, feathers, animals, hearts and other common doodle-esque patterns are 2011's favourites but I have a feeling that vintage cocktail rings that look like they really have a past will be big in 2012. Either that or huge round cocktail rings in pastel colours or with light catching sparkles.